Chapter 9 of The Quickening is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter IX
Chapter 9 of The Quickening is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"Tell me one thing more, Ardea: do you love Vincent Farley?" Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word. "That settles it; you needn't say it in so many words. Isn't it a hell of a world, Ardea? I love you--love you as this man never will, never could.
Chapter 9 of The Quickening is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading “Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.”
turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
From this reading “Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.”
any place of pain and turmoil
From this reading “Isn't it a hell of a world, Ardea?”
plural of “settle” — a long wooden bench with a back
From this reading “"That settles it; you needn't say it in so many words.”
moving very fast
From this reading “Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.”
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading “Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.”
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading “Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.”
the words that are spoken
From this reading “"That settles it; you needn't say it in so many words.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Isn't it a hell of a world, Ardea?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.
type genus of the Ardeidae: large New and Old World herons
From this reading "Tell me one thing more, Ardea: do you love Vincent Farley?"
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I love you--love you as this man never will, never could.
turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame
From this reading Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading I love you--love you as this man never will, never could.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "Tell me one thing more, Ardea: do you love Vincent Farley?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tell me one thing more, Ardea: do you love Vincent Farley?"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.
any place of pain and turmoil
From this reading Isn't it a hell of a world, Ardea?
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I love you--love you as this man never will, never could.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "That settles it; you needn't say it in so many words.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isn't it a hell of a world, Ardea?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "That settles it; you needn't say it in so many words.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading "Tell me one thing more, Ardea: do you love Vincent Farley?"
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I love you--love you as this man never will, never could.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading "That settles it; you needn't say it in so many words.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Tell me one thing more, Ardea: do you love Vincent Farley?"
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "Tell me one thing more, Ardea: do you love Vincent Farley?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "That settles it; you needn't say it in so many words.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading I love you--love you as this man never will, never could.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Isn't it a hell of a world, Ardea?
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "Tell me one thing more, Ardea: do you love Vincent Farley?"
express in words
From this reading "That settles it; you needn't say it in so many words.
plural of “settle” — a long wooden bench with a back
From this reading "That settles it; you needn't say it in so many words.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "That settles it; you needn't say it in so many words.
moving very fast
From this reading Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.
express in words
From this reading "Tell me one thing more, Ardea: do you love Vincent Farley?"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "That settles it; you needn't say it in so many words.
a special situation
From this reading "Tell me one thing more, Ardea: do you love Vincent Farley?"
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I love you--love you as this man never will, never could.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tell me one thing more, Ardea: do you love Vincent Farley?"
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading I love you--love you as this man never will, never could.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Her swift blush answered him, and he did not wait for her word.
the words that are spoken
From this reading "That settles it; you needn't say it in so many words.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Isn't it a hell of a world, Ardea?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Tell me one thing more, Ardea: do you love Vincent Farley?"
Chapter 9 of The Quickening by Francis Lynde holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 9 holds 414 sentences of The Quickening, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 9 of The Quickening by Francis Lynde exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 9 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading The Quickening by Francis Lynde on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 5780 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17357 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #17357, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 481 minutes of reading across 1156 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Quickening section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Quickening to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Quickening, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
